water and fire
by Twilgain
Summary: A daughter of Poseidon and a son of Hephaestus... Water and fire... Can their budding love survive?


1

It had been three years since I'd started spending my summers at Camp Half-Blood. Being a daughter of the one of the big three wasn't easy. I was alone in my cabin for one, and for another, I was always the odd one out. Just because I spent my vacation with demigods didn't mean I escaped the ridicule of others. Au Contraire… Some of the kids purposely seeked me out in order to point out our differences.

With my green eyes like stones the river had washed smooth, fair freckled skin, and bleach blond hair that I let the sun dry, I looked nothing like one would expect from a daughter of Poseidon.

I closed my eyes, letting myself float on top on the water with the sun shining brightly down on me, warming my exposed arms and legs. I couldn't help but smile, relishing the heat of the day.

"Katharyn! It's time for training!" Someone shouted from the shore.

"Leave fish-girl and come on, we don't have time to stick around!" Someone added quietly.

They didn't know I had such great hearing. I heard a lot of things that I wasn't meant to. Sound travels over water after all, and while not always found in a body, water is present almost everywhere. Hearing over great distances was part of the power I'd gained from my godly parent.

I'd never met my father. I had never held that against him, I knew just as well as anyone that the gods weren't meant to visit their children often. However, I did want to meet him someday. My mother and I had a very strained relationship, and I had a feeling that, were I to meet Poseidon, I would totally transform into a daddy's girl.

Ignoring the two kids on the shore as they walked away, their weapons clanking heavily against their armor, I ducked beneath the water, allowing myself to sink to the bottom of the lake slowly. Here, in the water, I could truly be at peace.

It must have been at least several hours before I woke up. The clouds above the lake were dark with rain, and a chill breeze sent ripples across the surface. The water around me was dark as dusk settled on the horizon. I must have missed both training and dinner. I could only hope that Dionysus hadn't noticed my absence, or I would be in for a lecture.

Manipulating the water around me, I propelled myself to the shore and shook the water from my body. A moment later, I was as dry as I had been that morning before my swim. Walking through the forest at night was as creepy as ever, and I somehow ended up at the pavilion instead of my cabin. Cursing under my breath, I tried to figure out how I'd gotten turned around.

"Hello? Is there anybody here? Please! I need help!" A male voice called from the woods to my right.

I turned quickly, my eyes searching the shadows for any sign of life. I was about to chalk it up to me just being afraid of the dark, when the bushes shook noisily and a boy came crashing to the ground, landing on his face clumsily.

Rushing to this stranger's side, I leaned down and grabbed his arms, pulling him into a sitting position. "Are you all right?" I asked.

His gold-flecked brown eyes searched my face and he shook his head. "I'm fine, but someone needs to help my family!"

"Your family?" I answered, my eyes narrowed in confusion.

"My mother and brother! They brought me here, and we got chased by some demon or something! And then they pushed me through this gate and told me to run for help! The-they are still out there with tha-that thing!"

Understanding dawned on me then. This kid was a demigod who didn't know about his powers. It was hard to believe that I had been this lost and confused only three years ago.

Chiron and Dionysus came then, bringing a crowd of demigods with them. Seeing everyone with their weapons and pajamas clashing was a humorous sight, but now was not the time for jokes. I explained everything to the camp leaders and they instructed me to stay with the newcomer while they rushed to the muggles' rescue. Why they wouldn't want someone with my power to help in a time like this was a point of confusion to me. To be honest, I didn't know the extent of my power since I'd never been in a real battle.

Since the war against Gaia led by the seven demigods of prophecy ten years ago, things in the Greek and Roman worlds had calmed down temporarily, giving everyone a chance to breath and train in peace. It was boring if you asked me. I could hear the sounds of the fight in the distance and wished yet again that I could be fighting alongside them.

The boy sat and caught his breath, and I had a chance to glance him over. His hair was black and slightly curled, a little long like he'd just missed his haircut, and he looked to be my age. Seventeen or eighteen to be sure. He was lank, but tall, with a sort of wiry strength present within him. I couldn't help but wonder what he'd look like once he got all cleaned up.

He looked up then and caught me staring, and I blushed furiously as I looked away. I knew he could see my face flush; my skin was so pale that it would be hard to miss.

Chiron galloped back to the two of us, with the rest of the camp a few minutes behind him. I stood and faced him, ready for a report. He looked to the boy first.

"Your family is safe. They are on their way home now. It was only a Minotaur, and with our forces, we easily scared it off." I saw the boy's face cloud in confusion at this, but Chiron continued, now looking at me. "We spoke to his mother. He is a son of Hephaestus. He will be staying with us from now on, and as you were the one to find him, I hope you will show him around tomorrow."

I nodded slowly, processing this new information. Chiron turned to greet the others then and I looked at this new burden of mine. He waved shyly.

"Well, I have no idea what is going on here… But hi. I'm Aaron."

Ahh… The injustice of it all.


End file.
